Search This Blog

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Therapy Dogs

A year ago my miniature Schnauzer Oscar and I took a training class every Wednesday night for almost 3 months. We became Therapy dog volunteers visiting the Caldwell Hospital along side our new friends and my second Mother-in-law Teresa who had been in the program for a couple of years.When she talked about how they meet up with patients and the hospital staff I admired her thoughtful stories. I was inspired that such good people like Teresa can do this with their dogs. When Teresa married Dad his oldest miniature Schnauzer named Newton took to her with such loving devotion! So they visit the hospital with Oscar and I now at least a couple of times a month. I always have such a fun time doing this, I learn something new each visit. I even notice in my own dog a change of calmness and he loves that people are there to pet him:-) I also love how calm Newton is as an older dog, he has an understanding of the word "Sharing" (unlike Oscar who thinks he is the only dog in the room at times.) Teresa and I have always been friends since she joined the family, yet in doing this volunteering together I think we have learned so much more about each other and I really look up to her! I also love her calming nature in all our noisy family events.During our class time last year there was an old golden lab so sweet and smart. Her name was Hannah, I would go down to my knees in petting and hugging her, Hannah would leaned into my legs when standing in line and I LOVED IT because she felt just like my own memories of my childhood dog Savannah. Last month Hannah died, she was an old dog when joining our training class and it was amazing to see how she touched everyone's life just being there so beautiful and so loving. Since my own dog was a bit edgy during those first few classes I found our peaceful spot between 2 older labs to help calm him down. It worked instantly! as Oscar seemed to like and trust those older dogs one being Hannah, the other a bear of a dog named Jack. I watched how centered around by older, wiser dogs that my dog Oscar picked up their behavior quickly. I have at least 11 more years with Oscar in my life and every year after that will be a bonus joy, in every death of our pets there is hurt and it can't be describe what an amazing impact those four legged friends give to us in our daily lives. Some people are afraid of feeling that kind of lost, that kind of pain. I have been trying understand them in this fear. I can see why such fear over the clear cut facts that every dog comes to an end would keep some people from ever opening up their home to a dog. I think to myself though that I would regret it more NOT having my dog stories, my laughter and tears fill up my life with that cozy dog smell and all those true friendships. I am not afraid of such pain of lost, of those final goodbyes. I can see clearly the deepest pain would be TO NOT HAVE LOVED or BE LOVED in our short life time. In this month's Newsletter our wonderful Therapy Dog friend Kathi Lee shared a poem that triggered my emotions on this subject, I hope you will enjoy this as much as I did!

Follow by Email

Share the Love

Love coming out of you is the only way to be happy!Unconditional love for yourself.You no longer resist life.You no longer reject yourself.You no longer carry the blameor the guilt.You just accept who you are, and everyone else just the way they are.You have the right to love,to smile,to be happyand to share your life!

My Husband's Blog

Grow a Garden

and let there be LIFE!

THE Farm

Lovely Lavender

Heal The wound

The only way to heal is through Forgiveness.To master forgiveness is to let go, holding on to the pain of that person only hurts. Of course the scar will always be there reminding you of what you have learned.But you will know once you have forgiven, when you hear the name or see the person who wronged you without any reaction. Like a wound that has healed when you touch it, there is no pain.Life becomes easy, because forgiveness is the only way to clean the emotional wounds.Forgiveness is the only way to heal them.

Lavender List of plants

Own Yourself

There is no problem at all with being beautiful or ugly, short or tall, thin or heavy.If you walk through a crowd of people and they tell you "Oh, you are Beautiful!"You can reply "Thank you I know." and it makes no difference to you. But if you don't believe it then you ask how is that possible to be Beautiful? You become an easy prey. Remember what is important isn't the opinion of others, but you, of yourself.

Oscar's Job

He is my Best Friend

He is your friend, your partner, your defender, Your Dog.You are his life, his love, his Leader. He will be yours, Faithful and True.To the very last beat of his hearthe understands his job, his time.YOU owe it to him to be worthyof such devotion.

Salt Spring Island in CANADA

It is such a beautiful Lavender Farm

My Thinking Cap

Fabulous Foods

Coffee Conversations

with each new day the cup holds a new taste

Cannon Beach

The place to live happily ever after.

Say YES to Life and Love

Apples to Apples

The Magic of Love

if only there was such a world...

MaryJane's Farm

How to enjoy Lavender

I am just another Dog Whisperer

Everything in this world just wants to be loved...

IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE!

Second Chance by Shinedown

My eyes are open wide And by the way, I made it Through the day I watched the world outside By the way, I'm leaving out Today Well, I just saw Hailey's Comet shooting Said why you always running In place' Even the man in the Moon disappears Somewhere in the Stratosphere [Chorus] Tell my mother, Tell my father I've done the best I can To make them realize This is my life I hope they understand I'm not angry, I'm just saying... Sometimes goodbye Is a Second Chance Please don't cry One tear for me I'm not afraid of What I have to say This is my one and Only voice So listen close, it's Only for today Well, I just saw Hailey's Comet shooting Said why you always running In place' Even the man in the Moon disappears Somewhere in the Stratosphere [Chorus] Tell my mother, Tell my father I've done the best I can To make them realize This is my life I hope they understand I'm not angry, I'm just saying... Sometimes goodbye Is a second chance Heres my chance This is my chance Tell my mother, Tell my father I've done the best I can To make them realize This is my life I hope they understand I'm not angry, I'm just saying... Sometimes goodbye Is a second chance Sometimes goodbye Is a second chance

It's a BEAUTIFUL Life!

The magic begins

The Power of LOVE

In this World we see both good and bad things, we can have both good or bad thoughts. We live in good or bad days with good or bad feelings. In this World we can choose to be good or to be bad. But the sadness that separates us from each other or brings us close together gives us strength to know what Happiness really is, how the world moves us along. How anger can eat away our day and create more pain. How fear can keep us delayed from what our lives should gain. How important is the power of LOVE when it comes to that very simple choice? In this world LOVE connects all things together for the good, for the joy and for the Happiness of Life!

Honor the Power of LOVE.

"The Strength that is in me is stronger then the fear that surrounds me."-my slogan in 2006

Energy of the Mind

Every day we awake with a certain amount of mental. emotional, and physical energy that we spend throughout the day.If we allow our emotions to deplete our energy, we have no strength to change our lives or give to others.Use your imagination to tell a story of Love, of Bliss and of Hope!See how love moves in the trees, coming from the sky, and saving you from fear.